3 Recently DFAd Players Minnesota Twins Should Pursue

[Riverbrian]

36 minutes ago, Chembry said:

I appreciate the logic and understand your point.  I agree, we shouldn't consider any more 1 year contracts.  But I disagree he will have no trade value.  That all depends on the contract he signs.  If he signs a $9M AAV contract (which probably won't happen), yes he will have no trade value and the Twins should be out.  If he signs a $6M AAV, he will have some trade value, especially if the contract has options.

The Nationals are out because of his $10M contract, but they also have a prospect ready to step into that role (Yohandy Morales).  The Twins don't have that internal option.  Fedko could considered the closest possible internal option, but he only has played 33g at 1B.   Maybe the Twins give Fedko a chance, but Baseball America just listed Fedko a "player to know" for the rule 5 draft.  There isn't any guarantee that he will be with the Twins in a month. 

My argument is that Lowe's level of production (outside of 2025) are better than the next best free agent option O'Hearn.  O'Hearn has 2 seasons of 2 WAR production or better (2024 a 2.0 and 2025 a 2.4).  Lowe has 4 seasons above 2.0 (2021-2024 between 2.3-3.2).  

Since we don't have a definitive option, and Clemens is more of a utility guy, why not sign Lowe to a 2-year deal? Assuming he would agree to a 2 year contract with options since he is coming off a bad season?  He isn't going to command $10M/yr, that has already been established.  He will be quite a bit cheaper than that. He isn't blocking any prospect.  Unless we trade for a 1B prospect, we will be playing Clemons and Julien at 1B and not investing in the future roster anyway.  Both of which are nowhere near the level of Lowe.  Mendez has yet, to play 1B and more than likely wouldn't be ready defensively in 2026 anyway.  Wallner isn't a 1B and will never be.  Roden has played 1B in the past, so that is an option.

My preferred choice would be to trade for a 1B prospect or for Casas.  I know many people disagree with Casas, but who knows if that is going to happen.  Signing Lowe would be a my next choice, over O'Hearn.  

We basically agree. 

My preferred choice would be to trade for a 1B prospect and on that we agree and that's why Lowe would disappoint me. 

If I had to choose between Lowe and O' Hearn... I'd take Lowe so we agree on that but I will be disappointed that a young 1B wasn't acquired somehow someway.  

Where we differ is his value. His value will be set by the contract he signs and his value will be maxed out when he puts pen to paper even if it's as low as 4 or 5 million because the reason it's low is because that is the most that any of the 30 teams are willing to pay. That's how free agency works. You max out your trade value by signing for more than the other 29 teams will pay.   

Now... that value can be fluid so there are ways around it. Like I mentioned... if he has a Bader type resurgence we may be able to flip him for a decent prospect like Mendez at the trade deadline to a team dealing with a significant injury at 1B.

A two year contract? I don't see it. There are some big money teams that will trip over themselves for Alonso... after that it's a big drop off and not lot of teams without decent 1B considerations already. O'Hearn, Arraez, Lowe, Hoskins all have to find work and there will be another group of 1B needing to find work next year.  

I'd just caution against that bet because 1B in my opinion is not position scarce. Every power hitting bat that can't run enough to play other position slides into a 1B position. Teams will often times transition players to 1B to fill holes that occur.  

Fedko... I'm not going to worry about Fedko until the Twins worry about Fedko. If Fedko gets added to the 40 man down the road. He will then become a consideration for me.  

I guess... If Lowe was the acquisition... it wouldn't be the end of the world but the kicking of the can down the road will continue and I would hate that. 

[Fatbat]

2 hours ago, Doctor Wu said:

I always liked Rortvedt and thought he would turn into a good MLB catcher, Maybe not a full-time starter, but at least a good backup. I wonder why both Tampa Bay and LA let him go so quickly. He's still relatively young, so it would seem like his skills could not have deteriorated that quickly. 

Rortvelt just isnt very good. There are a lot of almost MLB catchers that can equal his production. I view Lowe as someone the Twins expected Kiriloff to become. 

[nicksaviking]

I have to disagree that Foley was or will ever be a "legitimate high-end reliever" as the guy can't strike anyone out, which is pretty imperative for relievers who are constantly inheriting runners. So on that note, sure, I'd toss the dice with Moreta, though the Pirates aren't exactly in a position to cut bait on upside players so I'd suspect something more might be going on there.

I'd take Lowe over Clemens in a heart beat. His down year was almost as good as Clemens unsustainable career year. If I have the choice between two sketchy hitters, I'll take the one that has a history of being able to get on base. Lowe has a history of doing that well. Obviously it goes without saying that I'd trade them both for Door Number Three, even without seeing what's behind it.

[Mike Sixel]

2 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

I'd prefer lefthanded. I don't even want to consider platoon specialists at all so his splits are encouraging in order to remove any manager temptation to whip out the platoons and compromise developing talent. 

Nobody should feel he is overrated. Anyone who was released and DFA'd by two clubs in a 3 month span should never be considerations for any type of over rated designations or those foot stomping hand clapping over rated chants from the crowd. 

Yes... He costs too much and that's why he is available. The Nats couldn't trade him and the Red Sox couldn't trade him because he costs too much. Now that he is a free agent. He goes straight into the pile somewhere between O'Hearn and France. He should find his correct level. Where will that level be? 

Can the Twins afford it? This Year Yes... Last Year No. It's a matter of should they? 

I'm going to stay consistent. No more one year contracts? We have to stop this never ending chain of low dollar one year contracts at the 1B position. 

A two year contract could be considered but... free agents sign for the most dollars they can get and most teams have developed a young 1B so it's not a position of scarcity. Therefore whatever Lowe signs for... he will be value maxed out and have NO TRADE VALUE unless he gets playing time and goes nuts.

If Lowe goes nuts and plays better than what he was with the Rangers. Maybe... Maybe he could be traded at the deadline for a Mendez size talent for a Bader type resurgence. However...  right now we are still talking about someone who was released by the Nationals because the Nationals felt it was more important to commit that roster spot to the development of youth despite the Nats owing 10.3 million in full. 

And that is where the Twins should be in 2026. Full commitment to the development of youth. 

So I'm out. 😉

Well stated. 

[RpR]

3 hours ago, Doctor Wu said:

I always liked Rortvedt and thought he would turn into a good MLB catcher, Maybe not a full-time starter, but at least a good backup. I wonder why both Tampa Bay and LA let him go so quickly. He's still relatively young, so it would seem like his skills could not have deteriorated that quickly. 

With Tampa Bay 2024 his bat awakened a bit but his glove took a big dip.

He was up to then a home run hitter about like Vazquez but that too fell off.

[sweetmusicviola16]

I'd take Lowe. Betting there is still a good amount of fuel left in the tank. He'd also be useful in sharing pointers with other guys on the roster in playing 1B, he could help in development. I'd go with a two year deal with the second the club holding an option with a buyout. I concur with Nick, his poor year is still better than Clemens best. But in my realistic view we won't attempt to sign anyone who could be helpful until February, if then, when prices drop out of desperation.

[twinstalker]

Just wondering in all seriousness:

What's the point of something like this?  When you have no chance of winning, what's the point of worrying about what scrapheap relievers the Twins get?

This has zero snark behind it.  It would seem there's nothing important but that which can truly improve things in the long run.  I understand that the detrimental effect of becoming a laughingstock is important to avoid, and that's probably reason enough to write about whether Jason Foley is better than Michael Tonkin, but it just feels like a waste of time.

[Parfigliano]

4 hours ago, JBK said:

Are we at the point where we are looking at Pittsburgh castoffs? 

TC better be looking at every teams castoffs.  Especially relief pitchers.

[JD-TWINS]

5 hours ago, Chembry said:

To all those who wouldn't be in on Lowe, can I ask why? Is it just because he bats LH?  Or because you generally think he is overrated? Cost too much? I am generally curious.

He will  be a FA in a few days and won't command a $10M salary...Nobody wanted to pick him up at the deadline for $10M.  My guess right now is he will get between $6-8M/year.

He is a solid 1B and has been for his entire career.  He has only one stint on the IL and that was a 30day stint in 2024.  He is an everyday 1B that doesn't have to be platooned.  Here is his career offensive stats and splits:

 

I	Split	G	GS	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB	ROE	BAbip	tOPS+
	vs RHP	777		2433	2133	304	568	99	10	82	300	14	2	273	577	.266	.351	.437	.789	933	49	14	0	13	11	12	.327	104
	vs LHP	494		997	885	94	228	38	3	25	113	1	0	103	259	.258	.337	.392	.729	347	17	5	0	4	0	8	.336	90

 

Defensively, over the last 3 years he has averaged 2OAA (bad 2025 of -5 OAA).  If you look at DRS, he averages 0 defensive runs saved in the past 3 years (again a bad 2025).  He isn't a defensive liability.  In fact, given the Twins track record the past 2 years, that puts him the odds on favorite to win a GG (if the Twins sign him).  With the exception of 2025, he has been a consistent 2-3 WAR level player.  

He’s a free agent in days for a reason - he’s declined.

2025: 18 HR & .307 OBP for Lowe in 540 AB’s.

Clemens is not my choice for 1B solution.

2025: 19 HR & .284 OBP for Kody in 342 AB’s.

Not profoundly different enough for me to spend $$ on Lowe. He DID have an uptick in 100 AB’s in Boston last year.

I prefer consistent offensive production for more $$ (me and most others) and therefore, I think Arraez is the best signing & for 3 years at $42-$45M……….sign him and a Catcher & the rest can be pieced together for Division run, assuming we don’t trade starters.

 

[DJL44]

Nobody wants a reunion with Jorge Alcala?

[weitz41]

MLIB contracts with SP invites. I'd signed all three by this morning. 

MLB contract.

I really like Lowe. If he'd be interested in a 2- or 3-year contract say in the 6-8 mil range (per year) with bonuses for things like all-star, gold glove and so on. Still should be cheap enough to be traded if it doesn't work out well.

Moreta I'd think there's plenty of room in the pen for a guy like him.

Foley not so much. I'd need to hear what our new hitting coach from Detroit had to say. Probably pass

[Greglw3]

All 3 good and astute suggestions, Cody. I like the suggestion of Lowe because he’s hit just about every place except the Nats and from 2021-2024 his on base percentage was somewhere around .359-.360. 

It’s interesting to note that even though he cratered out with the Nats, Wash and Bos combined he still had 84 RBIs compared to Wallner’s 40 and 62 walks and a career OPS+ of 116, which for 1B would be a big improvement for the Twins.

I still can’t believe 22 HR and 40 RBIs, worst for 22 HR since the RBI stat has been kept since 1920s.

Wallner had 30 RBIs from HRs and 10, count 'em 10, RBIs the whole rest of his season on 1B, 2B, 3B, BB, HBP, Groundout, SF)

I think Lowe would be better than Clemens although the two of them could battle it out for the position.

[Chembry]

1 hour ago, JD-TWINS said:

He’s a free agent in days for a reason - he’s declined.

2025: 18 HR & .307 OBP for Lowe in 540 AB’s.

Clemens is not my choice for 1B solution.

2025: 19 HR & .284 OBP for Kody in 342 AB’s.

Not profoundly different enough for me to spend $$ on Lowe. He DID have an uptick in 100 AB’s in Boston last year.

I prefer consistent offensive production for more $$ (me and most others) and therefore, I think Arraez is the best signing & for 3 years at $42-$45M……….sign him and a Catcher & the rest can be pieced together for Division run, assuming we don’t trade starters.

 

I understand your point on 2025.  Lowe had a down year for sure.  He definitely isn't worth $10M ($13.5M projected arbitration) and that's why he was DFA'd.

But if you look at 2021-2024, Lowe's stats are similar, if not better than Arraez in most regards, other than BA.  Plus Lowe won a GG at 1st in 2023.  For me, it comes down to more power, while maintaining a high OBP, which Lowe has done prior to his stint with the Nats.  He went right back with Boston.

It just comes down to a difference of opinion.  Like I said in a previous post, I would rather have the Twins trade for a young 1B, but I wouldn't be upset with Lowe or Arraez.  But I think they could get Lowe cheaper. 

Arraez
Season	Team	G	PA	AB	HR	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2021	MIN	121	479	428	2	0.294	0.357	0.376	0.733	105
2022	MIN	144	603	547	8	0.316	0.375	0.42	0.795	128
2023	MIA	147	617	574	10	0.354	0.393	0.469	0.861	128
2024	2TM	150	672	637	4	0.314	0.346	0.392	0.739	107
Lowe
Season	Team	G	PA	AB	HR	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2021	TEX	157	642	557	18	0.264	0.357	0.415	0.771	112
2022	TEX	157	645	593	27	0.302	0.358	0.492	0.851	139
2023	TEX	161	724	623	17	0.262	0.36	0.414	0.775	114
2024	TEX	140	565	486	16	0.265	0.361	0.401	0.762	123

[JD-TWINS]

56 minutes ago, Chembry said:

I understand your point on 2025.  Lowe had a down year for sure.  He definitely isn't worth $10M ($13.5M projected arbitration) and that's why he was DFA'd.

But if you look at 2021-2024, Lowe's stats are similar, if not better than Arraez in most regards, other than BA.  Plus Lowe won a GG at 1st in 2023.  For me, it comes down to more power, while maintaining a high OBP, which Lowe has done prior to his stint with the Nats.  He went right back with Boston.

It just comes down to a difference of opinion.  Like I said in a previous post, I would rather have the Twins trade for a young 1B, but I wouldn't be upset with Lowe or Arraez.  But I think they could get Lowe cheaper. 

Arraez
Season	Team	G	PA	AB	HR	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2021	MIN	121	479	428	2	0.294	0.357	0.376	0.733	105
2022	MIN	144	603	547	8	0.316	0.375	0.42	0.795	128
2023	MIA	147	617	574	10	0.354	0.393	0.469	0.861	128
2024	2TM	150	672	637	4	0.314	0.346	0.392	0.739	107
Lowe
Season	Team	G	PA	AB	HR	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2021	TEX	157	642	557	18	0.264	0.357	0.415	0.771	112
2022	TEX	157	645	593	27	0.302	0.358	0.492	0.851	139
2023	TEX	161	724	623	17	0.262	0.36	0.414	0.775	114
2024	TEX	140	565	486	16	0.265	0.361	0.401	0.762	123

My repeated comments here about run production is that Arraez is slow and has been hitting at the Top of line-ups, typically, for 5 years. If TWINS put him in 5 hole and he strikes out only 25 times. while hitting .300 and collecting 185 hits, we’d score a bunch more runs than with a guy like Wallner, etc. not putting the ball in play because he strikes out or walks nearly 45% of his AB’s & hits .210. His RBI total v. his number of home runs has to be some MLB record for an All-time low.

In the 5 spot every day Arraez has 85-90 RBI for the Twins IMO, even with 7 home runs on the year. If we need to spend $3-4M more for one of our 3-4 potential FA’s this off-season, he’s the guy.

[Doctor Gast]

9 hours ago, Doctor Wu said:

I always liked Rortvedt and thought he would turn into a good MLB catcher, Maybe not a full-time starter, but at least a good backup. I wonder why both Tampa Bay and LA let him go so quickly. He's still relatively young, so it would seem like his skills could not have deteriorated that quickly. 

It's so difficult to find a primary catcher nowadays. If you find a strong side tandem, you're doing pretty well. We are in between a rock & a hard place. Twins have painted themselves in a corner. where they need to trade Jeffers, but they make it so difficult to do so because we have absolutely nobody else. Because they have ignored the problem for years. Rortvedt would have given us a reasonable window for a floor to work from.

[Mike Sixel]

1 hour ago, JD-TWINS said:

My repeated comments here about run production is that Arraez is slow and has been hitting at the Top of line-ups, typically, for 5 years. If TWINS put him in 5 hole and he strikes out only 25 times. while hitting .300 and collecting 185 hits, we’d score a bunch more runs than with a guy like Wallner, etc. not putting the ball in play because he strikes out or walks nearly 45% of his AB’s & hits .210. His RBI total v. his number of home runs has to be some MLB record for an All-time low.

In the 5 spot every day Arraez has 85-90 RBI for the Twins IMO, even with 7 home runs on the year. If we need to spend $3-4M more for one of our 3-4 potential FA’s this off-season, he’s the guy.

His highest RBI total in his career is 69.......He averages 53 RBI a year....I think you should re-think your math.

[ashbury]

6 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

[Waller's] RBI total v. his number of home runs has to be some MLB record for an All-time low.

Much would depend on how you define the thresholds, but you are correct that no one had ever hit 22 HR in a season and had as few as 40 RBIs until Wallner did it in 2025.  If you lower the HR threshold to 20 then two other guys are in this "elite" 40-RBI class: Chris Hoiles for the Orioles in 1992, and our own fan-favorite Joey Gallo for the Twins in 2023.

Wallner hasn't been this bad the prior seasons so I hope this year was just a blip.  The parallel to Gallo makes it more worrisome.

I root for Wallner to fulfill his potential but there seems something wrong with his situational approach this past season, and I hope a new slate of coaches puts their finger on it and helps him correct it.

Wallner's struggles are not an argument particularly for Arraez however.

[Bodie]

On 11/19/2025 at 9:47 PM, RpR said:

All should stay except Julien.

All of them can go to Target with Miranda!

[TopGunn#22]

I think the Twins should be trading for a younger 1B with the strategy of solving the Black Hole we've had there for years.  My target would be Tristan Casas of the Red Sox. 

That said, if Nate Lowe could be signed for 2 years at $6-$7 million per year that would at least stabilize the position and allow for others to either emerge from our minor league system or someone like Lewis "grow" into the position.  Lowe has also won a Gold Glove at 1B.  He's an actual living, breathing 1B.  Guys like Wallner or Larnach will never really be a 1B.  

And imagine how many runs they would allow to score because they couldn't come up with a throw in the dirt.  1B isn't just for guys that can't run anymore.  Rod Carew could still run, and he became a pretty good 1B.  Multiple time Gold Glove 1B with the Dodgers-Wes Parker had excellent speed and on-base ability, but no power.  And the current example of an excellent 1B who can still run and who saves his team multiple runs by coming up with bad throws is Freddy Freeman.

I think there are a sizable number of guys who post on TD that have no idea how BAD an experiment at 1B would go with Wallner and Lanach, each of which have NO IDEA how to play 1B.  

[jorgenswest]

Jenkins and Rodriguez are on the way. They should arrive this year and should have an opportunity to win a job this spring. I don’t want a one year veteran delaying that arrival.

Looking down the road for their arrival I wonder if there is any plan to play Martin at 2B and Keaschall at 1B. Clemens would be a good utility fit there with his left handed bat behind them. Culpepper’s eventual arrival could also push Keaschall to 1B.

I am all for acquiring an anchor bat in the middle of the lineup that will be the first baseman for multiple years. They aren’t likely to find that among the DFA’s. Short of acquiring that anchor bat I would go with the current roster. In the meantime Roden should be joining the battle for the 1B job. If he hits anywhere near his minor league numbers we will not be talking about first baseman next year. We won’t be talking about 1B next year either if Keaschall lands there and continues to hit.

[rv78]

Everyone here needs to get off the, move Wallner or Larnach or sign Lowe to play 1st base bandwagon. Falvey has said Clemens is their 1st baseman. The only way he'll pivot from that is if some other team is willing to part ways with a washed up veteran who is batting .150. That guy will fit right in with Gasper, Jackson, Outman, Fitzgerald and Roden. Anyone who gives $11M for a Gallo, who was a lifetime career below the mendoza line hitter, isn't going to hesitate bringing in more of those worthless players, especially for cheap, when given the chance.